The NBCUniversal Short Film Festival is returning to New York on August 16th and 17th for its 11th year. The festival features creative works from aspiring directors, writers and actors from diverse backgrounds, giving them an opportunity to showcase their talent in one of 4 categories: Comedy Short Film, Dramatic Short Film, Comedic Pilot Presentation

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

The NBCUniversal Short Film Festival is returning to New York on August 16th and 17th for its 11th year. The festival features creative works from aspiring directors, writers and actors from diverse backgrounds, giving them an opportunity to showcase their talent in one of 4 categories: Comedy Short Film, Dramatic Short Film, Comedic Pilot Presentation and stand alone Web Series Episodes. The semi-finals events and screening which takes place next week will occur over two nights. The winners of this round will head to the finals being held in Los Angeles this October. Past winners of the event have gone on to become HBO Directing Fellows and correspondents on shows such as Comedy Central’s the Daily Show. Well known alumni of the festival include Randall Park who starred along side James Franco and Seth Rogen in The Interview and Cayman Grant, a writer/producer known for The Social Network and her documentary 30 for 30.

Founder Wil Sylvince

The NBCUniversal Short Film Festival, once known as the the Short Cuts Film Festival, was founded by comedian/actor/producer Will Sylvince. Sylvince wanted to create a forum in which people of diverse backgrounds and women could have an opportunity to share their work and vision in an industry which has recently come under fire for not being inclusive. Now in its 11th year, the festival continues to provide anyone with a great story and vision to turn their dreams into a reality.

In the wake of the recent tragedies that have consumed our nation and our headlines, the media has done an excellent job of painting a polarized and tension filled picture that has mainly served to widen the already gaping rift that exists between certain factions of the American polity. By spotlighting divisive rhetoric and those

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

In the wake of the recent tragedies that have consumed our nation and our headlines, the media has done an excellent job of painting a polarized and tension filled picture that has mainly served to widen the already gaping rift that exists between certain factions of the American polity. By spotlighting divisive rhetoric and those that propagate it in the mainstream, the media has not only contributed to the birth of several counter movements further exacerbating social conflict, enabling ignorance, and effectively vilifying certain groups of people while victimizing others, it has also successfully turned us all into political pawns. Pundits and politicians have been gifted a brand new pop culture platform which pander to the public and label us as being “anti” something by virtue of being “pro” something else. The use of “divide and conquer” techniques as a means of social manipulation is nothing new as social inequality and conflict have very deep historical and cultural roots. Consequently, countless unsung heroes who have fought for the voiceless against oppressive power structures have risen out of the ashes of our sordid and violent social history. One such individual, who has recently been gaining traction on social media, is Ms. Jane Elliot.

Jane Elliot in the 1960s

You may have seen the videos of her “Blue Eyes Brown Eyes Exercise” on YouTube or on your Facebook newsfeed. For nearly 5 decades, since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ms. Elliot has tirelessly labored to eradicate the effects of racism by utilizing reflective exercises such as the “Blue Eyes Brown Eyes Exercise” to challenge and ideally, modify the perception many members of the white community have about race and white privilege. After having spent time living in predominantly white communities as well as predominantly black communities and teaching grade school students during the civil rights era, Ms. Elliot has witnessed, first-hand, the origins and the destructive consequences of racial prejudice in American society.

Watch this interview of Jane Elliot discussing race. This video has recently gone viral on FaceBook:

In an interview with Rock Newman, she emphasized the instrumental role the American education system plays in purporting notions of white supremacy thus fueling the collective fear and ignorance that characterize American racism. By highlighting the exploitation of our indoctrination into American society as children by the elite for political and/or economic gain, and engaging willing participants in reflective exercises such as her “Blue Eyes Brown Eyes Exercise”, Jane Elliot has effectively introduced people to their own biases as well as the societal constructs that reinforce them. It is unfortunate that after her many years of generating awareness around the systemic oppression of certain groups and advocating for change, her efforts are just as critical and necessary today as they were 48 years ago. Jane Elliot’s skills as an educator in combination with her tenacity and passion for change make her one of the most formidable and influential activists of our time.

LION BABE, the neo-soul, funk duo which consists of Jillian Hervey and Lucas Goodman is rising to the top with the release of their debut album in February 2016 entitled Begin. The group’s unique fashion and music style is just what people who love music from a place of real artistic creativity yearn for. Jillian,

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

LION BABE, the neo-soul, funk duo which consists of Jillian Hervey and Lucas Goodman is rising to the top with the release of their debut album in February 2016 entitled Begin. The group’s unique fashion and music style is just what people who love music from a place of real artistic creativity yearn for. Jillian, daughter of songstress/actress Vanessa Williams and producer Ramon Hervey II originally wanted to pursue a career in dance but was encouraged by her now musical half, Lucas Goodman, to pursue a career in music. Goodman who attended Northeastern University started exploring his love for producing while in college, inspired by various artists such as Prince, Timbaland and Pharrell. After moving to New York, Goodman and Hervey began working together and ultimately became LION BABE. Just last month Jillian was named the new face of Pantene which is showcasing her beautiful mane! If you are looking for a funky, soulful and daring sound, download LION BABE’s new album on i Tunes. I must admit, “Impossible” is one of my favorite tracks and I use it to get my spin class going! Yes I teach spin and my class loves this track! Watch the video below.

One of the main issues people have with Donald Trump and his campaign as president of the United States is that it has scratched on a scab in this country that is far from healed. The photo featured in this article is from a recent rally supporting the presidential candidate. Some people find the photo

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

One of the main issues people have with Donald Trump and his campaign as president of the United States is that it has scratched on a scab in this country that is far from healed. The photo featured in this article is from a recent rally supporting the presidential candidate. Some people find the photo funny and some find it offensive. I think its a bit disturbing. Its disturbing because the people who wore these shirts and the people around them find it acceptable. They are bold enough to show how they really feel because there is someone running for president that they identify with and who isn’t convincingly enough against racism that people feel it inappropriate to wear such shirts at a rally for his support. Trump isn’t convincing because of his delayed and unemotional response denouncing support from David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan. Was America originally white? Where does the notion of white again come from? Is it because Donald Trump wants to deport millions of illegal immigrants and then build a wall to keep them out or do they want to Make American White Again by electing a white, male president to replace the first president of color, Barack Obama of this country? Does Make American White Again mean, get rid of the Black Lives Matter slogan because no one wants to hear about people of color’s issues with law enforcement? Does Make American White Again mean, continue to keep an Academy Award nominating committee that doesn’t diversify their Best Actor/Actress Nominations because they don’t watch films with people in leading roles from Black, Hispanic or Asian cultures? Does Make American White Again mean to continue to create films about Egypt, its people and history whether historical or fictional with the lead roles of people of predominately European decent? There are plenty of countries around the world with mixed populations but I’ve never seen such a blatant display of division and offensive behavior as has become commonplace and in a way acceptable in these “United States” of America. I say acceptable because it continues to happen and people continue to allow it as if its non threatening to the well being of the United States as whole. Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Saturday Night Live has been doing a pretty good job of mocking the entire 2016 Presidential campaign and its candidates on both sides. Whether or not you agree with Donald Trump’s campaigns, qualifications or competency to be president, we can all agree on one thing, the following videos made us laugh: Best SNL Donald Trump

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

Saturday Night Live has been doing a pretty good job of mocking the entire 2016 Presidential campaign and its candidates on both sides. Whether or not you agree with Donald Trump’s campaigns, qualifications or competency to be president, we can all agree on one thing, the following videos made us laugh:

It appears as though Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa have squashed the beef that started last week. Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose posted a picture together after Kanye posted that he and Wiz Khalifa spoke and that the outcome was positive. The beef started after Kanye West changed the name of his upcoming album from

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

It appears as though Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa have squashed the beef that started last week. Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose posted a picture together after Kanye posted that he and Wiz Khalifa spoke and that the outcome was positive.

The beef started after Kanye West changed the name of his upcoming album from SWISH to Waves which Khalifa criticized because the slogan was originally coined by Max B, a well known artist who is currently serving jail time for murder

According to sources Mrs. West called up Amber Rose to squash the beef once and for all. Kim Kardashian was quick to save her husband from anymore #FingerIntheBooty accusations or worse.

Super Bowl 50 is less than a week away and there have been leaks regarding some of the most entertaining moments of the game, the commercials. Yes of course we want to see the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos battle it out for the championship on the field but let’s be honest, some of

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

Super Bowl 50 is less than a week away and there have been leaks regarding some of the most entertaining moments of the game, the commercials. Yes of course we want to see the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos battle it out for the championship on the field but let’s be honest, some of us look forward to the commercials and the half time show as well. A 30 second spot this year is costing advertisers $5 million.

Here is a peek of one of the commercials featuring Drake in a revamped version of his ‘Hotline Bling’ for a T-Mobile:

Susan Sarandon photo bombed the cast of “Straight Outta Compton” at the Screen Actors Guild Award Ceremony this past Saturday. The cast was nominated for the award, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for their portrayal of N.W.A., ground breaking hip hop group of the 1980s and 90s from Compton, California. N.W.A.

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

Susan Sarandon photo bombed the cast of “Straight Outta Compton” at the Screen Actors Guild Award Ceremony this past Saturday. The cast was nominated for the award, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for their portrayal of N.W.A., ground breaking hip hop group of the 1980s and 90s from Compton, California. N.W.A. will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the April 8th ceremony being held at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

It’s that time of year again! The Fall/Winter 2016 Fashion week is coming to New York February 10th through the 18th. This year the event will be held at several locations throughout the city with most taking place at Skylight Clarkson Square and Moynihan Station. If you weren’t lucky enough to receive an invitation to

]]>Im Lit Media is a Digital Magazine that presents todays news in Pop & Hip Hop Culture. ImLit.com is headquartered in New York City. http://imlit.com

It’s that time of year again! The Fall/Winter 2016 Fashion week is coming to New York February 10th through the 18th. This year the event will be held at several locations throughout the city with most taking place at Skylight Clarkson Square and Moynihan Station. If you weren’t lucky enough to receive an invitation to attend the shows, you are able to watch everything online at New York Fashion Week Live .

It’s that time of year again! The Fall/Winter 2016 Fashion week is coming to New York February 10th through the 18th.